THE WALL OF SHAME

  This image stands as the first and last photograph Rick took immediately before the unprovoked assault. It explicitly documents the assailant sitting right outside Culture Coffee as Rick was simply walking by, minding his own business, and documenting the public street. If anyone attempts to twist the narrative or falsely claim that Rick was the instigator, this definitive visual evidence completely shuts it down, proving he was targeted entirely out of nowhere. 

"FRIEND OR FOE?" – THE GROWING DANGERS OF PUBLIC PHOTOGRAPHY ON ENGLEWOOD’S STREETS

CRUSIN ON DEADBORN CAR SHOW - NOVEMBER 8th, 2026

ENGLEWOOD, FL — Do you know what it is really like taking pictures in public when you do not know who is a friend or a foe?

It is becoming incredibly dangerous out on the streets of Englewood, Florida, and independent journalists must remain on guard at all times. This stark reality was put on full display during the recent Cruisin’ on Dearborn monthly car show on Historic Dearborn Street, where veteran public photographer Rick "The Kooky Catman" Kingston was subjected to a sudden, unprovoked physical assault while working to document our town's local culture.

Rick Kingston was operating in the public space directly in front of Culture Coffee, capturing high-quality media content for the Pioneer Plaza Englewood Florida website.

 Without warning, the atmospheric shoot turned into a scene of pure mayhem. An elderly man in his late 70s or 80s suddenly stood up, swung his heavy walking cane, and struck Kingston hard across the shoulder while shouting wild accusations about "witness protection."

In that high-stress moment, Kingston’s years of disciplined boxing training and a profound knowledge of self-defense law immediately kicked in. While the instinct for many would be to strike back in blind anger, Kingston showed absolute restraint. 

Recognizing that the cane had been lifted and the immediate threat had subsided, he chose to de-escalate. Rather than retaliating against an elderly assailant—which would turn a legal self-defense situation into a criminal retaliatory assault—he instantly took two steps back, followed by another five steps, successfully clearing the danger zone.

"It is getting dangerous out there, and you must be on guard at all times," Kingston warned after the incident. "When you are documenting public spaces today, you have to be heavily armed with both non-lethal and tactical force options. 

But more importantly, you have to know when to match a threat and when to walk backwards. My boxing training taught me how to take a punch without throwing one back in anger, and that is what keeps you on the right side of the law."

Law enforcement arrived on the scene shortly after the attack. Although Rick Kingston chose not to have the elderly man formally arrested, responding officers issued a severe, unforgettable lesson to the assailant: you cannot legally assault someone with a cane simply because they are exercising their First Amendment right to take pictures in a public space.

As tensions rise nationwide regarding public documentation, this incident serves as a serious reminder of the grit, vigilance, and strict legal awareness required to preserve and protect the history of Olde Englewood Village. 

Halloween Safe Walk Oct 31,2026 

Wall of Shame: Ignorance of First Amendment Rights.

Public photography is a constitutionally protected right under the First Amendment. 

When you are in a public space, there is no expectation of privacy, and members of the media are entirely within their legal rights to gather video and photographic content. During this encounter, the subject pictured here demonstrated an absolute disregard for the law and escalated the situation into active hostility.

• The Incident: Instead of ignoring the camera or walking away, the individual aggressively attempted to close the distance and confront me.
• The Escalation: The confrontation became so severe that his girlfriend had to physically hold him back multiple times as he repeatedly tried to break free from her grasp to come at me.
• The Legal Reality: Criminal assault does not require physical contact. It occurs when actions create a reasonable fear of imminent physical harm.
• The Self-Defense Response: Because he repeatedly tried to break away to approach me in a hostile manner, I reasonably feared for my safety. I was forced to draw two defensive pepper gels and order him to stand down.

Trying to physically intimidate me will not stop me from documenting public spaces, because if you don't exercise your rights, you lose them. 

This guy completely lost his composure just because a camera was out in public, earning himself a spot right here in a clear example of what happens when someone doesn't understand the law and reacts poorly to a citizen exercising their 1st Amendment rights. .